A New Normal
by IBelieveYouLiar
Summary: Kate Beckett has to adopt a new approach to Christmas this year - will it be for the better? T for safety. One-shot.


**AN: Hi Everyone! I am aware that it's November, but this is a Christmas story I've been working on this story for the past two days and I think it's pretty cute, so I wanted to share it with all of you. This one is a little fluffy, perhaps a little more emotional than my usual fare, but I hope you still enjoy it.**

**It's set in the Season 4-verse, but doesn't address the three-little-words fiasco really because I'm finding it quite hard to work my stories around that. No matter what I try, I always seem to write Rick and Kate's reactions the same. And that's just plain boring. So I'm not touching it much in this particular one-shot.**

**I hope you enjoy it :)**

**IBYL  
>xo<strong>

**DISCLAIMER: If I owned them, this would actually happen. However, since that's not on the cards... they're not mine. **

Kate Beckett sighed as she sat at her desk in the NYPD's 12th Precinct, watching the clock tick over. She had exactly 23 minutes until she was off-shift (miraculously) for the holidays, and time had taken it upon itself to drag on forever. She didn't know why – it wasn't like she had any plans to rush to. The only reason she wasn't working at Christmas was because Gates had ordered her to take the holiday period off – apparently, the ice queen had been perusing Beckett's file and decided it wasn't healthy to work so many Christmases in a row. Of course Gates wouldn't understand that Christmas was painful for her, that even after 14 years she still couldn't handle celebrating without her mother. Biting back the anger that filled her without warning, Beckett huffed and turned back to her computer, noting that there were now 21 minutes until she could officially call it a day, go home, curl up on her couch and drink her way through the holiday her mother celebrated so vivaciously. She distantly recognised the arrival of the elevator and sighed. If that was Gates coming back to hassle her, it wasn't going to end well.

"Counting the minutes?" A voice asked across the bullpen and she looked up to find her partner, holding two cups of coffee.

"What are you doing here? It's Christmas Eve, you should be home." She said gently, but accepted the cup of coffee all the same – she wasn't an idiot and it was damn cold outside.

"Ah, but you see, there was something missing." Ever-the-writer, Castle grinned. "The tree is decorated, the presents wrapped, the turkey and ham are both ready to be cooked. The eggnog is ready and even the mistletoe is up." He shot Beckett a questioning look.

"Sounds like a tick in every box." She said, playing along.

"Not quite. There's one thing missing." He said, yet another not-so-subtle prompt.

"What's missing?" She asked, eyes flicking back to the clock. 17 minutes.

"You." He said with a full-force grin, one he only unleashed around her.

"Ha ha, Castle." She said, forcing a roll of her eyes.

"I'm not kidding, Beckett."

"I don't do Christmas, Castle. You know that." She murmured sadly, and he made a split second decision and took her hand in his.

"I know you haven't done Christmas in years, Kate. But the thought of you at home alone on Christmas breaks my heart. It's not right. Give me a chance to show you how strong you are, prove to you that even though it hurts you, Christmas might heal you too." He said, his thumb gently tracing a pattern on the back of her hand.

"Castle." She said softly, and he stopped her.

"Just give me one chance to show you a little Christmas magic. Please? One shot." He pleaded, and she looked up at him, the smallest of smiles gracing her face.

"Alexis and Martha have to be okay with this."

"I asked them before I came, just in case you said yes." He said, another grin forming.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow for lunch then, won't I?" She said, and he shook his head.

"Nope, you'll see me tonight. Clock off, go home, collect your favourite winter pyjamas and an outfit for tomorrow. Pack them up and call me as soon as you're ready."

"Seriously, Castle?"

"If I only get one chance, we're not doing Christmas half-way. I'll see you soon, Detective Beckett." He smiled and finally released her hand, placing a soft kiss to her cheek as he bounced happily towards the elevator. She smiled despite herself, and gently touched her hand to her cheek, still tingling from his lips. She looked at the clock – 8 minutes.

Can't deny it, the man was a good distraction when he needed to be.

XXX

Just under an hour later, Beckett was pacing around her apartment. What was she thinking, agreeing to this? She was basically the modern day Grinch, she couldn't risk ruining Castle's Christmas. But she'd already called Castle to tell him she was ready – so it was too late to back out now. She sat on her couch and sighed. Bringing up old memories, it was probably going to hurt. But if there was one person in the world who could make her see the lighter side, it would be Castle. Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door and she stood, opening the door quickly.

"Hey, Castle. Let me grab my bag." She tried to sound upbeat, but the nervousness must have shown through in her voice since he took a step inside and grabbed her wrist gently as she turned.

"Don't be nervous, Beckett. It's just Christmas." He said softly, and she nodded once.

"I know, Castle. I just don't want to ruin it for you." She said gently.

"Kate." He murmured softly, and her eyes shot up at the use of her first name. "You're making my Christmas one of the best, simply by agreeing to be there." He said with a smile, and she let out a watery laugh.

"You're such a charmer. Come on, Rick. Let's go." She said, slinging her bag over her shoulder and following him out the door, leaving her inhibitions behind. If she was going to do this, to be a part of this family for a little while, she wasn't going to do it half-way.

XXX

She really wasn't prepared for the sight that greeted her when she walked into Richard Castle's Tribeca loft. She'd always loved his place – it was very modern, but still felt homely and comfortable. You could tell that a family lived there. What she wasn't expecting was that his entire loft had basically been transformed into a winter wonderland. The Christmas tree was absolutely huge and haphazardly decorated, probably by Rick and Alexis, she guessed. There were fake snowflakes hanging from the roof delicately, and silver tinsel was littered liberally around the house. There were already a huge stack of presents under the tree, so Kate walked over and pulled three small gifts from her bag, placing them under the tree. When she turned back around, Rick looked stunned.

"You got us gifts?" He asked, and she nodded shyly.

"You, Martha, Alexis… you guys are practically family. They're only little gifts." She said with a little shrug, and he grinned widely.

"Thanks, Kate." He said, pulling her into a hug. Although initially surprised, she found it easy to find comfort in Castle's solid chest, and she wrapped her arms around his waist. After a little while, Castle pulled away but took her hand in his. "Come on, I'll show you to your room." He said with a smile, leading her up the stairs. "Dinner will be served in about half an hour. I'll give you a chance to get set up."

"Give me two seconds and I'll come back down with you." She said, dumping her bag on her bed and flicking off her shoes. "Okay, all good." She said with a cheeky grin, and he laughed. It was when they turned around that he realised that their hands were still connected. He looked down sheepishly and she smiled, squeezing his hand gently but leaving it in her own. He adjusted to twine their fingers together, making her smile as they walked down the stairs. When they reached the lounge Beckett dropped his hand with an apologetic nod, before taking a seat on the couch where Alexis had appeared.

"Hi Detective Beckett!" She said with a smile, and Kate smiled in return.

"I'm fairly certain I've told you to call me Kate." She teased lightly. "How's things?"

"They're good. Getting better now that it's Christmas. Dad mentioned you usually spend it at work?" She asked.

"Yeah, usually. But this year the Captain ordered me to take some time off."

"Well I'm glad you're celebrating with us." Alexis said sincerely, and Kate smiled.

"Me too, Lex." She whispered, as much to herself than anyone else. Unfortunately, Castle had just taken his seat right at her side, and if the giant grin he gave was any indication, he'd heard her whispered confession.

"Dinner's on its way." He said, and Lex hummed her approval.

"So, dare I ask, what is the Castle family Christmas agenda?" Kate said gently, and Castle smiled.

"Well tonight is easy. Chinese food is on the way, and we watch our favourite not-quite Christmassy movie."

"_Love Actually_" Alexis chimed in.

"And then go to bed relatively early so we can be up for waffle breakfast and present opening early in the morning." He said with a smile, as Martha wandered down the stairs regally.

"Dinner on the way?" She asked as she perched in the big leather armchair.

"20 minutes, mother."

"Perfect. We'll wait until dinner to start the movie, yes?" She asked, and the three people on the couch nodded in response before falling into easy conversation about the weather, and the precinct. The doorbell rang and Castle paid for the veritable smorgasbord of food, setting it all up on the coffee table.

"Because we all like something different, we usually just set it all up on the table, grab a plate each and pick and choose. Sound okay?" He asked, and she smiled.

"Sounds heavenly."

And as the opening monologue to the film started, Kate couldn't help but marvel at the fact that just a few short hours ago, the prospect of celebrating Christmas made her miserable. Now? She can't imagine anything more perfect than spending the holiday with the Castle family.

XXX

After the movie finished, Rick loudly declared that it was 'bedtime for elves', which had Kate rolling her eyes but agreeing all the same. It had been a pretty slow day at the precinct but that seemed to exhaust her more sometimes. Alexis and Martha were quick to exit the room, and Kate couldn't help but laugh at their rather obvious attempt to give them some privacy after what had happened during the movie.

_They'd finished eating and had paused the movie quickly to clean up the cartons quickly. When the place was almost tidy again, they'd all settled back into their original seats. Before long, though, Castle was barely inches from Beckett as they watched the film. When he tried to pull the yawn move, she giggled and moved closer to him of her own accord, holding back a grin at the look of pure delight that spread on his face. Throwing all of the tense thoughts in her head aside for one night, she rested her head on his shoulder and his nimble fingers drew lightly up and down her arm. They stayed that way for the rest of the film._

"I love your family to pieces, Castle, but subtlety may not be their strength." She said with a gentle laugh, and he smiled.

"No, not really. But their hearts are in the right place." He said.

"Absolutely." She turned to walk towards the stairs but turned back less than a second later. "Hey, Castle?" She said.

"Yeah?" He asked, turning to look at her.

"Thank you for making me excited for Christmas again." She said with barely disguised childlike glee. She ran over and pulled him into a quick hug before planting a gentle kiss on his cheek. "Until tomorrow, Rick." She whispered, and he smiled.

"Until tomorrow, Kate." She flashed one last small smile before starting up the stairs to her room for the evening, pleased by tonight's turn of events. She changed into her comfy pyjamas quickly, a pair of sweatpants and an old _Beverly Hills 90210 _t-shirt that she knew Castle would poke fun at. It wasn't until she took off her necklace that the memories began to flow. She turned her mother's ring in her hand softly, thinking of all of the traditions she'd ignored for years. Christmas Eve, curled up in front of the fireplace which was her father's pride and joy, reading _Twas The Night Before Christmas_. Then in the morning, cooking a huge breakfast of bacon, eggs, sausages – everything a girl could want. Presents would be torn open eagerly in front of the tree, and Kate laughed at the clear memory of her younger self tearing through paper. The laughter quickly turned to a series of choked sobs that she couldn't quite control. Even after all these years, it still hurt her to know that she'd never have that with her mother again. She stopped suddenly when she heard a soft knock on the door.

"Come in." She said quietly, and wasn't all that surprised to find Castle's head duck around the door. He shut it quietly behind him and walked over to Kate's side, taking a seat next to her. "You either have ears like a bat, or Alexis tipped you off."

"It's my bat-like ears this time. Well, actually, I forgot something up here." He said.

"What did you forget?" She asked.

"Aside from you? My mother had a couple of gifts stashed in her room that she wanted me to get for her, but I'd forgotten until I went to bed." He said, and Kate choked out a little laugh.

"Sorry I distracted you." She said, and he smirked.

"Kate, in case you hadn't noticed, you're a walking distraction for me. It's okay. I'm used to it. But are you going to tell me what's wrong?" He kicked off his slippers and laid down next to her, waiting for her to respond. She gave him a watery smile.

"Just reminiscing. It's good sometimes, to think of the happier times. But sometimes it just flat-out hurts." She said, trying desperately to ignore the couple of rogue tears that had escaped down her cheek. Rick watched carefully as they traced a line down her cheekbone before lifting his hand and wiping the offending tears away softly. Kate closed her eyes at the feel of his soft hand on her cheek.

"I wish I could help, Kate." He whispered softly, and her eyes shot open at the sound of his voice.

"You always help. You never fail to help. I was basically ready to drown myself this Christmas, but you've saved me again." She said softly. He looked into her eyes for a while before speaking next.

"You know why, don't you?" He asked, and she felt herself nod.

"Yes, Rick, I do." She whispered softly, closing her eyes again, but not before turning her head and pressing a gentle kiss to his palm.

She soon found herself asleep.

XXX

She woke the next morning mildly disoriented, but soon figured out where she was. She assumed that Rick had snuck out after she fell asleep, as where he'd been lying the night before was now empty and his slippers were gone. She sat up and padded into the bathroom softly, making herself feel a little more human as she brushed her hair and teeth, before wandering downstairs quietly. She saw Rick in the kitchen and smiled, watching him as he shuffled around the kitchen humming happily as he cooked. He turned around and caught her watching, and smiled at her.

"What are you doing over there! Come here!" He said happily, and she complied. "Wait a second, is that a t-shirt from what I think it is?" He asked cheekily, and she raised an eyebrow at him before nodding sheepishly. He laughed. "I love today!" He said, pulling her into a tight hug.

"Merry Christmas, Rick." She murmured into his neck, and he smiled before pulling away.

"Merry Christmas, Kate." He said, leaning in to kiss her cheek. When the quiet became awkward, Rick coughed. "Want to help me with breakfast? The waffle batter is almost ready." He said, and she nodded.

"Sure, I'll help." She said, and the pair whizzed around the kitchen putting breakfast together. Kate finished setting it all up on the table while Rick went upstairs to wake Martha and Alexis. A few minutes later, Rick returned, with a mildly sleepy Alexis. "No Martha?"

"She's putting on her face." He said, and Alexis smirked a little.

"Merry Christmas, Kate." She said with a little smile.

"Merry Christmas, Alexis." She said, pulling the young girl into a quick hug, noting the huge smile on Rick's face as she did so. Martha swanned down the stairs and kissed each person on the cheek before muttering a collective "Merry Christmas" and taking a seat at the table, ready to eat.

Breakfast passed in excited chatter and soon enough, the four people were gathered around the Christmas tree. Rick silently apologised as Alexis and Martha dug into their stockings, tearing into packages of socks, make-up and other little trinkets. He patted the space next to him on the floor, handing her one of his gifts to unwrap and making her blush a little. She ripped it open for him and found a weird novelty pen with a pig on top – it was totally Castle, and it made her smile. He finished tearing through his other presents quickly so that they could get to the bigger gifts. Apparently, Castle always got his mother luxurious pyjamas and a gift certificate to a spa in the Hamptons.

"Thank you for not breaking tradition, kiddo." She said with a smile as she accepted a gift from Alexis. Inside was a new woven purse, hugely colourful and very Martha. Alexis grinned as her grandmother fawned over the gift. Alexis went next, ripping open a brand new and hugely full make-up kit from her grandmother which she'd apparently asked for. The largest box under the tree was also, unsurprisingly, for Alexis, and contained the complete works of Janet Evanovich, much to her delight. When Kate realised what the books were, she smiled.

"You have good taste, Alexis. I love the Stephanie Plum series." She said with a smile, and Alexis nodded her agreement.

"They're so much fun. I love Stephanie's Grandma, the one with the gun. She's nuts." Alexis said with a giggle, and Rick smiled.

"Go on, Rick, it's your turn." Kate said, and he ripped into the paper like the 9-year-old he was to find the latest RockBand game from Alexis. He smiled and gave his daughter a hug, before turning to the package from his mother. It was a set of six leather-bound books, each of them home to a different fairy tale. Kate smiled as he flicked through each edition with wonderment in his eyes – you could give him all the gadgets he could ever need but sometimes old-fashioned familiarity won out. Rick smiled his thanks to his mother, who nodded graciously. Kate pulled two of the three small gifts out from under the tree, handing one to Alexis and the other one to Martha. Unsure of what to get the women, she went for something simple for each. Martha opened to a beautifully decorated silver photo frame, which Kate had inserted a picture of Rick and Alexis into, both of them looking totally goofy and adorable. She'd had a phrase she'd once heard engraved at the top of the frame: _Families are like fudge – mostly sweet with a few nuts_, which made Martha laugh. She smiled and thanked Kate. Alexis opened hers next, finding a delicate butterfly pendant in the bluest of blues.

"This is beautiful, Kate. Where did you get it?"

"Well you know I was staying at my dad's cabin? There's a fantastic little market up there every few weeks, and I saw that and fell in love."

"Do they have lots of stuff like this?" Alexis asked, and Kate could tell that the excitement wasn't forced.

"Tonnes of it. Maybe someday I'll take you up there." She said with a smile, and Alexis grinned.

"I'd like that." She said, kissing Kate's cheek softly. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Kate said with a little blush. Alexis stood up quickly.

"Dad, do you mind if I go Skype with my friends quickly? We exchanged presents a couple of days ago but we want to open them in front of each other." She said sheepishly, and Rick laughed.

"And I, my dear, am retiring to the bedroom. Wake me for lunch, would you?" Martha asked.

"Of course, mother." He said with a grin, and she drifted upstairs as well. Kate smiled.

"Now that was much more subtle than last night." She said with a grin, and Rick laughed.

"They're quick learners." He said. "Here, gift time." He passed her a small rectangular box. She took a deep breath and ripped off the paper, spying the familiar duck egg blue box. She cocked an eyebrow at Rick but opened the box all the same, smiling when she saw the necklace inside. It wasn't at all extravagant, like she was expecting when she saw the box. Inside was a simple gold necklace with a beautiful charm at the end of it – of a four-leaf clover. "I figured a little good luck wouldn't ever go astray." He said with a smile, and she picked the necklace up, silently asking for his help in putting it on. She held her hair up as he put the necklace on, pressing a gentle kiss to her neck when he'd finished, making her shiver.

"I love it, Rick. Thank you." She said genuinely. He eyed off her gift and she smiled at him. "You're such a pain to shop for, by the way." She said, and he laughed.

"I've been told."

"Just open it." She said, passing him the last box from under the tree. He lifted the lid carefully to find a set of Cufflinks, a Tie Clip, Lapel Pin, Money Clip and a key chain, all of which had an NYPD badge on them. "I couldn't get you an actual badge, so I figured this was the next best thing." She said with a smile. He pulled her into a hug.

"Thank you, Kate. Coolest substitute ever." He said with a grin. She smiled.

"I'm glad you like it. But I still say you're a pain to buy for." She said with a smirk. Kate got up and wandered over to look out of the window, watching the snow fall softly on her beloved city. She felt a presence behind her, and smiled. "My mom loved the snow. She was a regular winter bunny. She taught me how to build a snowman, make the best snowball… all of that. We always ganged up on my dad. He used to whinge about it but now it just makes him smile." She said, before turning around and looking at Rick. "I envy that."

"That the memories make him smile?" Rick asked, and she nodded.

"Don't get me wrong, some memories absolutely make me smile. But mostly? They just hurt." She said sadly, and he bundled her into his arms.

"No tears today, Kate. It's Christmas. Go have a nice relaxing shower, I'll do the same, and then you can come help me make Christmas lunch. Deal?"

"Deal. Thanks, Rick." She said with a smile, before heading upstairs.

XXX

Just over an hour later, Kate had finished getting ready, and she walked downstairs. She'd picked a tight knitted sweater dress that was a staple part of her winter wardrobe, the round neck still low enough for her new necklace to be seen, much to her delight. She had packed tights and boots, but the house was so warm that there was no need for them. She padded softly down the stairs and smiled as she spotted Rick entering his study. Walking a bit faster, she ducked in after him, but unfortunately a floorboard creaked exactly as she stepped into the room, making Rick spin around.

"Damn. So close." She murmured, and he beamed brightly. "You're happy." She noted, and he nodded. She frowned. "Suspiciously happy." He nodded more, before pointing up.

Hanging above the doorway, directly where the pair was standing, was a little sprig of mistletoe. Rick leant in and wrapped his arms around her waist gently, pulling her closer. His eyes asked permission, and she gave it, simply by leaning closer to him. Her eyes slid shut of their own accord as his lips slid gently over hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him close to her as his lips moved against her own. When they pulled away for air, Kate smiled.

"I do like mistletoe." She murmured softly, and he kissed her again.

"Come on, we have cooking to do." He said, taking her hand and heading for the kitchen.

All of the discussions that needed to be had, the decisions to be made? The look Rick gave Kate said they could wait until after Christmas. Nothing was going to ruin their perfect day.

**The End.**

**Let me know what you think? :)**


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